Thursday, August 22, 2013

Iron: Dangers of Deficiency

Vitamins
and minerals are important to our health and well-being. One example is iron.
Iron is important to the functioning of our bodies. Iron helps create
hemoglobin in our red blood cells. Hemoglobin is responsible for transporting
oxygen through our blood. Iron is very important to our bodies staying healthy.
Iron deficiency can be a dangerous condition.If the deficiency progresses too far it can cause iron anemia. This means
the body is not producing enough iron to produce the correct number of red
blood cells and hemoglobin. To avoid this there are certain food that are good
sources of iron. Humans absorb iron better from animal sources than from
plants. Some of these animal sources include turkey, chicken, and fish. Some
plant sources of iron include dark green leafy vegetables, beans (kidney,
soybeans, and lentils), and whole-grains. Most people are not typically at risk
for developing an iron deficiency but there are some population groups that are
at higher risk. These include pregnant women, breastfeeding women, young
children, and teens. If you fall into one of these categories this does not
mean you will become deficient in iron, just make sure you are eating foods
that have iron in them and eat a well-balanced diet.

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Changes Taking Place for Dietetics at AU

As the recent post mentioned, the AU Dietetics Program will be moving out of the Department of FCS to form the new Department of Health Sciences along with Athletic Training and Exercise Sciences within the Shar College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Change is never easy, and much time has been dedicated to this decision and evaluating the subsequent impacts that this move will have on all those concerned.
Overall, this realignment will increase the visibility of the Dietetics Major to the community and prospective students. Logically, it is easier for students to associate Dietetics with other health care majors than with those majors within FCS. The historical placement of nutrition and in some cases Dietetics, within the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences remains at some institutions, but the trend is to move this major to a more appropriate placement along side other health-related areas of study. While the historical perspective should be acknowledged and appreciated, it should never limit the vision towards the future. Without vision and change, the continual growth, development, and evolution of this program would not be able to reach its fulliest potential. As previously stated, change and growth are seldom easy, but without them, proactive steps become reactive, which is not a beneficial strategy when moving forward towards the future, for if you are not moving forward, you are falling behind. Dr. V.

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Managing Food Allergies

Have you or a family member been diagnosed with a food allergy? Or perhaps you have a guest visiting your home with a food allergy? One important step to remember in managing food allergies is to avoid cross-contact.

Cross-contact occurs when one food comes into contact with another food and their proteins mix. As a result, each food then contains small amounts of the other food that are often invisible to us. Even a trace of food on a spoon or spatula that is invisible to us can cause an allergic reaction.

When cooking allergen-free meals, use utensils and pans that have been thoroughly washed with soap and water. If cooking several foods at the same time, cook the allergen-free meal first, then keep it covered and away from any splatter caused by other foods that are cooking. If you have handled an allergy-causing food, wash your hands with soap and warm water before serving the allergen-free meal.